A fine art among most Californian tribes is the making of baskets. Those
made at Coahuilla are mostly what is known as “coiled work.” A bunch of
fine, slender grass is taken and treated as if it were a rope. It is
coiled around and around in a close coil. Long strips of reed grass are
then taken and wrapped like a thread around the coiled rope, sewing the
coil at each wrapping to the next coil. In this way the foundation coiled
rope of grass is entirely covered and concealed by the wrapping of reed
grass, and at the same time firmly united. By using differently colored
strips of the reed grass, patterns are worked in. Horses, men, geometrical
patterns, and letters are common. Among some Californian tribes such
baskets were covered with brilliant feathers, which were woven in during
the making.
Among the delicacies of some south Californian tribes was roasted mescal.
Mescal is a plant of the desert, with great, pointed, fleshy leaves. At
the proper time it throws up a huge flower-stalk, which bears great
numbers of flowers. Mr. Lummis describes the roasting of its leaves and
stalks: “A pit was dug, and a fire of the greasewood’s crackling roots
kept up therein until the surroundings were well heated. Upon the hot
stones of the pit was laid a layer of the pulpiest sections of the mescal;
upon this a layer of wet grass; then another layer of mescal, and another
of grass, and so on. Finally the whole pile was banked over with earth.
The roasting—or, rather, steaming—takes from two to four days.... When he
banks the pile with earth, he arranges a few long bayonets of the mescal
so that their tips shall project. When it seems to him that the roast
should be done, he withdraws one of these plugs. If the lower end is well
done, he uncovers the heap and proceeds to feast; if still too rare, he
possesses his soul in patience until a later experiment proves the
baking.” This method of roasting mescal is about the same pursued farther
north with camas root.
A gambling game common among Californian tribes is called by the Spanish
name _peon_. It is very similar to a game played in many other parts of
the United States by many Indian tribes. It consists simply of guessing in
which of two hands the marked one of two sticks or objects is held. The
game is played by two parties, one of which has the sticks, while the
other guesses. Each success is marked by a stick or counter for the
winner, and ten counts make a game. Among the Coahuillas there are four
persons on a side. Songs are sung, which become loud and wild; at times
the players break into fierce barking. Then the guess is made. Great
excitement arises, which grows wilder and wilder toward the end of a close
game. Violent movements and gestures are made to deceive the carefully
watching guessers. Sometimes men will bet on this game the last things
they own, even down to the clothes they wear.
Mr. Barrows, who has described the game of _peon_ tells of the bird dances
of the Coahuillas. These Indians highly regard certain birds. Of all, the
eagle is chief. In the eagle dance the dancer wears a breech-clout; his
face, body, and limbs are painted in red, black, and white; his dance
skirt and dance bonnet are made of eagle feathers. In his dancing and
whirling he imitates the circling and movements of the eagle. At times he
whirls about the great circle of spectators so rapidly that his feather
skirt stands up straight below his arms. The music of this dance is so old
that the words are not understood even by the singers.
[Illustration.]